Lend a Hand: Help children with these local programs

Saturday

Jan 4, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Volunteers for after school programs

Volunteers for after school programs

Volunteers for after school programs Studies show that youth are most likely to engage in risky behaviors during after school hours before heading home for the night. After school programs provide a safe, enriching environment for youth during these critical hours. Volunteers are needed to be positive, caring role models.

Will you help students engage in healthy social, academic and physical activities? Whether you have a little or a lot of time to give, you can make a difference in a child's life.

Help support this youth coalition

Raymond Coalition for Youth empowers the community to promote positive youth development and strengthen community assets by coordinating services and opportunities through prevention initiatives, including suicide, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The coalition is seeking one to two energetic volunteers to help with Youth Action at Raymond High School — an innovative group of students who want to make a difference in their community. Volunteers are needed for two hours per week to help run icebreaker/warm-up activities, supervise small groups of students, play games, have fun, and listen to these amazing youth. Volunteers should enjoy working with youth ages 14-18, laugh easily, have previous experience working with youth (not required), and be willing to submit a background check. Orientation/training will include basic youth development and needs, icebreakers/games to play, risk management training, and basic CPR/ first aid training.

Contact: Jennifer Darois, program coordinator, at 895-4735 or jdarois@rcfy.org

Location: Raymond

Make a difference in a child's day

Linked Together is dedicated to inspiring and supporting the youth of our community to identify and achieve their goals through a variety of learning experiences and community participation.

Volunteers are needed to share their love of music, crafts, reading, or sports with children in the after school program. Children enjoy spending time with volunteers playing games, reading, or getting help with their homework. There is also a group of children in the service learning program who work on grants, fund-raisers, local community events and clean-up projects in area parks. Volunteers can help this group with fund-raising ideas, projects and events. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and are required to fill out an application and attend an interview with the site director.

Contact: Sarah Velluto, program director, at sarah.velluto@gmail.com

Location: Newmarket

Facilitate a bullying prevention program

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Middle School is a crucial time of transition and adjustment for young girls and is when bullying behavior tends to peak. This is why the Girl Scouts has launched an innovative national bullying prevention initiative for middle school girls to help girls develop healthy relationship skills, understand relational aggression, and learn about conflict resolution and bullying prevention. The organization is looking for series advisors to help deliver this valuable programming at Sacred Heart School in Hampton. The program will run on Friday afternoons starting in mid-January. Series advisors are responsible for delivering the curriculum to 15-20 girls and organizing fun, interactive, girl-led activities. Training is provided.

The Seymour Osman Community Center and Youth Safe Haven is a private nonprofit organization that provides academic support, family and youth life-skills training and recreational opportunities. Volunteers who serve as mentors in the after school program provide social development opportunities for youth. Mentoring pairs meet for one hour per week every week during the school year and engage in a variety of activities such as cooking, playing games, recreation, and just "hanging out." The goal of the program is to provide the young person with a positive role model, who through his or her behavior models excellent social skills and encourages positive self-esteem. Mentors must also be able to relate to youth from different cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles. An interview, and training session is required, as well as a state and local background check. A sense of humor is definitely required!

Contact: Jacqui Boudreau, program coordinator, at 305-9605 or jbsocc.americorps@gmail.com

Location: Dover

Internship with youth in Somersworth

The Somersworth Youth Safe Haven mentors youth ages 5-18 in an after school homework lab, enrichment activities program, gym program, and with community service opportunities.

The organization is looking for interns to help with the after school program. Activities include homework help, computers, art projects, and the gym program. There are also opportunities for grant writing.

This year the main focus is "health and wellness" and there are opportunities for interns to teach nutrition and fitness. You can make a difference by being a positive role model for children and teens. Interns must have a desire to learn, have compassion, complete a required background check and attend monthly meetings.

Contact: Betty Eaton, program coordinator, at 692-3976 or beaton@somersworthhousing.org

Location: Somersworth

LEND A HAND: These and hundreds of other opportunities to volunteer or donate goods are brought to you by the United Way of the Greater Seacoast Volunteer Action Center, sponsored by NextEra Energy Seabrook, online at www.uwgs.org/volunteer or call 373-9105.

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